Redhawk Caldera My heart is broken, my head is bowed

His rapidly fired questions made her start to cry harder and Peregrine's heart went out to her. He reached out and touched the top of her head with his nose even as she sobbed out her replies. He could tell she blamed herself, though Peregrine could read between the lines. Part of why she'd lost track of Atticus more than likely had to do with the recent upheaval he'd caused.

"Willow, stop," were the first words out of his mouth. He couldn't stand his friend berating herself so harshly. "You're a wonderful Healer. You need to stop holding yourself to this perfect standard. You do your best and that's all anyone can expect." Peregrine's voice trailed off as he lapsed into thought.

He couldn't make sense of the situation. The longer he mulled over it, the worse he struggled with it. That was, until a dreary possibility indeed struck him. Peregrine's lips pursed. Was it possible Atticus had gone off to die somewhere? He knew that wolves sometimes sought solitude in their final moments. The lack of any trail seemed to support this theory, as his brother might have gone to small pains to leave no trace. That was the entire point, right?

His jaw tightened and he tried to gently shove that thought away even as Peregrine lowered himself to lie beside Blue Willow. Gently, he arced his body around hers, hoping to comfort her with his embrace. He nudged her closer ear again, a silent reminder that, You're not alone in this.